Conventional dash panels are designed as traverses that extend approximately in a straight line between laterally opposed A-pillars, to which they are attached by their ends. Such dash panels are located approximately at the height of the dashboard, i.e., in a space underneath the window railing of the front wind shield, so that, when viewed from the front side of the vehicle, additional vehicle parts are mounted in front of the dash panel. Conventional vehicle bodies particularly include a relatively large-volume air-conditioning/heating unit, which is mounted in the middle area in front of the dash panel, and has a sturdy design.
In the case of a head-on collision, the front end containing the support structure for absorbing impact energy is deformed and shortened. The dash panel connected to the A-pillars is a component of a passenger compartment, which should be as dimensionally stable as possible, and should not be deformed in response to a head-on collision. Vehicle parts, in particular an air-conditioning/heating unit, which are disposed in front of the dash panel (as seen from the front side of the vehicle), are displaced against the dash in response to a head-on collision along with a deformation of the front end. In this case, the dash panel acts as a barrier, so that these parts, especially heating-unit parts, come to rest in front of the dash panel. This shortens deformation paths for a selective, energy-absorbing deformation. In addition, the deceleration in coming to rest increases in an undesirably sharp manner. Furthermore, predetermined deformation occurrences, e.g. flexural buckling, can be impaired.
A vehicle body including a traverse, which has a triangular cross-section and is located at the front end of the passenger compartment, is described, for example, in German Published Patent Application No. is 197 14 631). This traverse forms the lower frame member of the windshield, so that no vehicle parts, which are in the above-mentioned danger of being brought to rest against an obstacle in response to a head-on collision, can be mounted in front of such a traverse. In this case, the triangular cross-section of the traverse is obviously chosen for its small space requirement, and beyond that, has neither an explicit, nor a recognizable function.
An arrangement of a dash panel in a vehicle body having laterally opposite A-pillars is described in European Published Application No. 0 755 849. The dash panel is attached by its ends to the A-pillars as a traverse at the level of the dashboard. In addition, the arrangement includes vehicle parts, in particular an air-conditioning/heating unit, which are mounted in a middle area in front of the dash panel, as seen from the front side of the vehicle. The vehicle parts may be displaced against the dash panel by the energy-absorbing deformations of the front end in response to a front-end collision. In the two side areas, the dash panel extends approximately in a straight line in alignment between the A-pillars. In the middle area, the dash panel is bent back at angles into the passenger compartment.
The dash panel may also be in the form of a ladder frame or truss frame and may include a dimensionally stable rear traverse that connects the A-pillars, a front traverse fixed to the inner side of the front wall and a plurality of braces connecting the two traverses. The section bent at angles may provide a longer path along which vehicle parts mounted in front of it can move, before such vehicle parts come to rest against the dash panel in response to a front-end collision. Thus, impact energy can be purposefully absorbed in the front end, over long deformation paths, without premature block formation. However, because of the restricted installation space, the middle mounting area, which is in front of the dash panel, and is enlarged by the section bent at angles, is regularly used for interior components located directly behind it. Thus, in the case of a front-end collision, an increased displacement path is not available, and in a front-end collision, such installation parts come to rest in front of the dash panel, which results in the deformation paths for a selective, energy-absorbing deformation being shortened. When such block formation occurs, the deceleration also increases in an undesirably sharp manner. Furthermore, predetermined deformation modes, such as accordion-like buckling, can also be impaired.
In addition, German Published Patent Application No. 198 43 211 describes a steering-support-member design for motor vehicles, which is for mounting a steering column on a steering-support member and which is fastened on both sides to the vehicle body using a support that has a flange-like design. A middle section of the steering-support member is approximately in the shape of a trapezoid, a stiffening element being fixed in the direction transverse to the bent section. This design is intended to increase the stiffness of the steering-support member so that its base cannot vibrate. The supports for the steering-support member are provided with bore holes for screws, which are simultaneously screwed into the A-pillar sections on both sides of the vehicle body, so that the steering-support member is mounted via the supports.
One object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement of a dash panel in a vehicle body so, that, in response to a front-end collision, favorable deformation conditions are created for absorbing impact energy without block formation. It is a further object of the present invention consists in a dash panel.